September 3rd, 2024 | 2 min. read
A smart strategy for managing the cost of healthcare, and to boost employee productivity, it is important to have a strong focus on preventive care. This makes sense on a national level, where one of the key strategies of healthcare reform is removing cost and access barriers to preventive services. It makes particular sense for employee populations, where the improved health of individuals pays off not only in the avoided cost of sick care, but also in improved productivity.
According to recommendations from the Partnership for Prevention, along with other organizations such as U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, they include screening for hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, certain cancers (e.g. breast, colorectal), childhood and adult immunizations, smoking-cessation counseling, and the use of daily aspirin for individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease.
As with other investments, employers can use net present value or future cost avoided to calculate how the value of their investment will go up over time. But that may be too linear a way to think about it. How about considering the value gained for each dollar spent today? How about asking the same question we would for any other purchase: what am I getting for my money?
Recently, a man named John walked into the newly-opened employee health center operated by Marathon Health at the insurance company where he worked. He thought it might be a convenient place to get his medications refilled. But John’s routine health screening was a wake-up call: he was the heaviest he had ever been, and his blood glucose had risen into diabetic range. He hadn’t played hockey in years, and his gym membership had lapsed. It was time for a change.
With the help of his healthcare provider, appropriate medication, a better diet, and a healthy obsession with his activity tracker, he turned his life around. His health stats are all within normal range now, and he has more energy for work. And he’s back to doing what he loves—playing hockey, this time with his 20-year old son.
Imagine stories like John’s emerging all around an organization. Imagine if each of those employees inspired a few others to do something about their health now, rather than later. The investment value of has gone up, and also out in many directions.